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Legend (Ultimate Edition) Customer Reviews (55 - 57 of 68 Reviews)

"No Good without Evil..."
I might be one of the few people who didn't like the director's cut of this film more than the US theatrical version.
The basic story is about a princess named Lily (Mia Sara) and a forest boy named Jack (Tom Cruise) who are in love, but are split apart when they have to go on a quest to save the world from being taken over by the Lord of Darkness (Tim Curry). Unicorns are the source of light, and the Lord of Darkness wants to have them all killed. Jack and several fairies go to rescue both Princess Lily and the unicorn when they are captured by the evil Lord.
Having never seen the movie before, I didn't realize there would be such a difference between the director's cut and the theatrical release.
I watched both in the same day, with the D.C. being the first version I saw. I felt like the scenes were too dark (in a visual way, not content), Lily's singing to the unicorns was annoying, and, honestly, I thought Jerry Goldsmith's score was way over done. I'd always been told that the music was light, New Age, and very '80s.
Then I saw the original US version. I thought it was so much better! Although some cool scenes were cut (Meg admiring herself in the shield), I thought the end with Jack and the unicorn was better explained, the scenes were easier to see, and the music was great. The feeling of this version was much lighter and the story was easier to follow.
Overall, I would say this movie is very enjoyable, but the version you watch will give you two very different experiences.
I disagree with the people who say the theatrical version felt choppy; I think the director's cut flowed much more poorly. The music, too, plays a major part in the feeling of the film. Jerry Goldsmith's orchestra makes the movie seem overly-epic and can drown out scenes, while Tangerine Dream's soundtrack seems more mystical and light.
Though I like the US theatrical version the best, both movies should be watched to get the full effect of this great fairy tale. As a whole, the characters are fun, the costumes and scenery are well done, and the battle between purity/goodness and Tim Curry's evil (he always makes the best villains!) is a classic tale you shouldn't miss.

REDISCOVER A MASTERPIECE
Ridley Scott's much maligned fantasy adventure finally makes it to DVD in a beautifully packaged, lavish two disc set that features a glorious director's cut that's almost 25 minutes longer than the original U.S. theatrical release of 17 years ago. The fleshing out of character and story in this classic beauty and the beast, good and evil, light and darkness fable certainly fills in the gaps and makes this wondrous tale a substantially nuanced and more emotionally satisfying experience.

Tom Cruise is Jack, a mythical forest dweller whom fate has chosen to battle a demonic lord of darkness (Tim Curry) to save a princess (Mia Sara). Director Scott claims this restored version -- including Jerry Goldsmith's mystical score -- is the film he originally wanted to make.

In his richly detailed and entertaining commentary, he covers a myriad of production concerns and makes note that all the amazing sets and effects were essentially filmed as we see them in real time and not the result of computer graphics or optical tricks. Hard to believe the huge forest sets were built to order inside a gigantic sound stage. They are even more surreal and dreamlike in this perfect widescreen transfer.

There's a wealth of extras including the original version, isolated original release score by Tangerine Dream, lost scenes, storyboards, recreation (with photos and drawings and music) of discarded scenes, Brian Ferry's music video "Is Your Love Strong Enough" and much, much more. This striking film deserves rediscovery and Universal has spared no expense in creating a terrific digital edition of what is now clearly a masterpiece of epic fantasy that was only hinted at in its original release. Special note should be made of the remarkably visual original screenplay by William Hjortsberg who also wrote the novel "Fallen Angel" that became the underrated film "Angel Heart." Another story about confronting Satan.

Elves, magic--what's not to like?!?
A glowing, phantasmal gem of a movie, "Legend" reminds you that unicorns are cool.

Ridley Scott's masterfully slow pace lets your breathe this movie in, almost smelling the wisps of summer flowers he so beautifully photographed. The soft focus imbues every shot with an ethereal quality of transcendence, whisking the viewer away from the humdrum lucidity of more realistic films.

Tangerine Dream's score is haunting, yet comforting, like a half-remembered favorite childhood dream. Tom Cruise masterfully embodies the rogue spirit of the hero, a more cunning Peter Pan. Mia Sara (even more lovely than her appearance in "Time Cop") captures the wide-eyed sweetness of the maiden, who marvels at the splendor
of her world. Tim Currey's portrayal of the Dark Lord juxtaposes this well, like finding a horrid black spider lurking in a treasured heirloom.

It's difficult to believe the same director would go on to create the clanking, bloated "Gladiator." "Legend" has no need for cruel violence, or a flawed hero on an empty quest for vengeance. Magnificent fantasy!

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